Little Red Dress
by Usagi Tuskino
Summary: StH.Gwen is sick of Joe always spending his time with Katie, even at the risk of food poisoning. So she devises a plan to steal his attention away! Too bad there's a new guy in town, and he's ruining all her plans... Just who is this guy, anyway?


**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harvest Moon. D: I do, however, own Royston Fielding. D

**Author's Notes:** This is based off of Save the Homeland.

**LITTLE RED DRESS**

_by Usagi_

"Is it good?" Katie asked, leaning forward with her arms behind her back, fingers crossed in hope. The look on Joe's face was saying other words, however. Still, the Katie had to go on and ask hopefully, "Is it?"

Gwen stared moodily through the outside of the window, scowling as she glanced back at Joe to see that he was clearly turning blue in the face. She didn't understand why he bothered to keep going back, while knowing that Katie's cakes weren't likely to magically change from 'oh my God, I'm going to die!' to 'oh, it's delicious!'.

She watched as he swallowed the piece he'd ventured to plop into his mouth and offered a wobbly nod while his face began its change from blue to purple. He seemed to croak out a word or two, which was probably something along the lines of 'bathroom!', before dashing off down the hall and disappearing from view.

Gwen sighed with disgust, moving away from the window before she was caught like the last time. She didn't particularly like them all staring at her like she had grown a third eye, and then them all coming out to ask what the hell she was doing spying on them through the window when she could of easily just walked in.

Well, there was plenty of reason for that! She just didn't feel like explaining it to them. Especially with Joe having been standing there, looking all amused and ready to hear her story. Gwen had the feeling he wouldn't be so amused if she had went ahead and told them that she was sick of Joe playing googly eyes with Katie. It made her sick. Made her want to barf!

Really, what did that pink-obsessed girl have that she didn't? A pretty dress? The color pink? Long, goldilocks hair? Okay, so she was one-hundred percent in the feminine nature, but she was a real air brain up top. Who was the one always going on adventures with him? Jumping into the lake? Getting into all sorts of trouble?

Miss Goldilocks over there would probably faint at the idea of getting her pretty, frilly dress soaked in the nasty, wet water. Gwen let out a frustrated growl at the thought and quickly peered back through the window, unable to hold her curiosity at bay any longer.

"It seems we have a thief in the making."

The deep, yet unmistakably sarcastic remark caught the horse-loving young woman completely off guard. She immediately swung around, an excuse flying up her throat as she readied it to get her out of trouble. However, it died on her tongue when her eyes fell upon the man standing before her, and the way he had one brow sardonically arched, as if mocking her.

"Oh, it's you." She replied instead, giving him a dirty look that conveyed her obvious dislike.

Royston Fielding. He had arrived to the homeland only a couple of days ago, and she hadn't liked him from the first time he had opened his mouth to greet her. He was a sarcastic ass who seemed to enjoy ruffling her feathers and making her see red.

"I'm afraid it is," He answered offhandedly, having stuck a cigarette between his lips and was in the midst of lighting it. "Tell me, Gwen, why is it whenever I run into you, you're up to no good?"

"Why, whatever do you mean?" She sparred, tossing her head arrogantly and walking away without glancing back. Though, that didn't stop her from hearing his deep chuckle as she retreated.

How infuriating.

-------------

Riding her horse was the only real sort of peace she had. The faithful animal was always up for a good race and, thankfully, so was Bob. Actually, he was always happy to do anything with her, and would always get that really ridiculous looking smile on his face. For such a huge man, he was really just a teddy bear underneath it all.

By the time she and Bob were walking their horses back into the stables, her mind was buzzing with ideas of how to show Joe she was much better material than Katie. She also wanted him to get away from her before she killed him with one of those cakes! She could understand that his infatuation might have been making him blind, but she would never of thought he'd try to kill himself just to please her.

How many times had he gotten food poisoning, she wondered?

"Great race, one of these days you're going to get me," Gwen laughed, punching Bob playfully in the shoulder. He was always a great sport, and although that was nice, sometimes she really just wanted some competition.

She watched as his face flushed red and he rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Me?" He asked, shaking his head. "Beat the great Gwen? Not likely."

Unfortunately, it wasn't. But she didn't boast about it around Bob.

"What do you like about a girl?" She asked before she could stop herself.

Bob's face appeared to drain of all color for a few moments. "W--What?"

"Oh, never mind." Shaking her head, she waved him off. "You're not like him, so it doesn't really matter."

She walked off then, bidding him a short farewell, and completely missed the way his face had fallen or the way he whispered, "H-Him…?"

-------------

"We're having a music festival?"

Gwen stopped in her tracks as she heard Joe's voice at the same time she caught sight of both him and Katie walking toward the café. A music festival? She wondered as she snuck up behind a tree and peeked out from one side, watching them with narrowed eyes.

"Yes, and I'm really excited!" Katie was saying. "I really like to play the flute, although I'm not very good, but I want to try out to play at the music festival. I'm sure if I practice I'll be able to get a part."

Not likely, Gwen scoffed. If her flute playing was anything like her cake baking, then it wasn't happening in this life time. Knowing her, she'd probably slip up on stage and end up impaling Joe with her flute. Which was much worse than handing him bad food. Joe was laughing, and for a moment Gwen actually thought he was about to say the same thing as she'd been thinking. Unfortunately, he didn't.

"Hah, I'd like to see that," he said instead. "It's like a sport, right? A passion? I can relate, with my fishing and all. Man, work hard, right!"

A passion? A sport? Wasn't her horseback riding a sport? Apparently, that wasn't good enough. Oh, but that Katie-face had done it now! She had just given her the perfect idea of how to draw Joe's attention back where it belonged! Music, huh? So he liked music? Well! She'd give him a performance he'd never forget. HAH!

"We really must stop meeting like this."

Gwen slumped forward against the tree, resting her head against it for a moment as she ground her teeth together and tried to quench the instinct to turn around and rip his big, ugly head off.

"Maybe if you'd stop stalking me," She shot back, whirling around to glare at him. With annoyance, she noticed that he could hardly be described as ugly. In fact, he was rather good lucking, she admitted begrudgingly. With silver hair a tad too long and piercing eyes that were somewhere in between a light blue and a light purple.

She scowled when he rose both of his eyebrows at her statement. Hardly, was the silent message he was sending through. It only heightened her ire.

"What are you doing here, anyway?" She snapped, unhappily implying that he wasn't wanted and he should leave. Immediately.

"Music festival."

"What about it?" She asked suspiciously, fearing he had overheard the conversation she'd been listening in onto and was putting two-and-two together.

He leaned forward, coming too close for comfort and Gwen found herself unconsciously stepping back a step. Then she realized what she was doing and stood her ground, refusing to be intimidated by him.

The corners of his lips lifted, amused. She swallowed painfully, unaware she was still holding her breath. He stuck another cigarette between his lips and, thankfully, straightened, giving her room to breathe.

"I'm in it," he finally answered, lighting his smoke before turning his gaze back to her. "The star."

There was nothing she could do to stop her mouth from dropping wide open. He was WHAT!? The star of the music festival? The lead man? Oh Dear Goddess, she had just struck gold!

"I need you!" She gasp before thinking, reaching forward to grab him. He choked on his cigarette and quickly moved out of her reach, his brows drawing together in displeasure and disbelief.

"Excuse me?"

-------------

"You're holding it wrong," Royston sighed, reaching out to push the flute up.

Gwen jerked back, sending him a glare, and snapped, "I've only been holding it this way for an hour! Excuse me if my arms are getting tired."

Royston sat back, re-crossing his arms over his chest. Though she watched as he suspiciously smiled over at her, either enjoying her pain or thinking of a way to catch her off guard as he had done back at the lake, near the café. His smiles weren't at all pleasing to look at, like Joe's. Then again, Joe's were boyish and sprang on a whim, over simple little things. There was nothing boyish about this man's slow drawing smile.

Somehow, it was dark and full of mystery. She had no idea what went on behind that smile. And it hardly promised anything good. She didn't like it at all. But then, she didn't like him, either, now did she? But that wasn't important. What was important was the fact that she wouldn't have to play too many notes since, apparently, her and Katie would be playing background parts that were very repetitious and easy to remember. Normally, she would have been one to complain about the minor role but, currently, she was actually glad it was so small. It would give her less chance to mess up.

Still, it was just like the pompous ass sitting across from her to take all the spotlight and leave the mediocre rolls to the village women. No doubt he thought they were a whole bunch of imbecilic Neanderthals. She'd love nothing more than to shove that cocky smile all the way to next week. The sooner this music festival was over the better, she thought.

"You're leaving after the show?" She asked, trying to sound casual when she was actually dying to know, now that the thought had arisen.

"It would seem," was his cryptic response.

Gwen scowled at him, hardly satisfied. "It would seem?" She repeated sarcastically. "Are you to tell me that you are unsure whether or not you will be leaving?"

"Disappointed?" He returned, giving her another one of those slow drawn smiles that hid worlds of mystery underneath.

She shivered, but turned the conversation over to playing the flute to hide it. The last thing she wanted was for him to find out she was rather intimidated of him. And like she was disappointed! Hah, the sooner he left, the better! Why couldn't he be pining after Katie? Maybe then Joe would know to leave the pea brain alone and focus his attention on her.

Maybe she should dress up like a woman for the music festival.

-------------

The night came to a fantastic close and the thundering applauds had her heart drumming in her head. Gwen had arrived in the most sexiest red dress she could find. And it had been hard, considering she lived with a whole bunch of males. Joe had been rendered speechless when she had left her room this morning, and she had felt a sweet taste of satisfaction like no other.

That satisfaction hadn't lasted too long, however, because as soon as she arrived to the festival Joe's wide eyed, red faced look had completely been thrown to the wind by the look Royston had given her. She had seen something ignite in his eyes, with that same dark and dangerous feel. She had felt shivers all over her body, but not of the unpleasant kind.

Then she had spent the rest of the night glaring a hole through the back of his head and wishing he'd simply drop dead that very instant. How dare he look at her in such a way? How dare he knock the thought of Joe from her mind from a simple look?

But that was then, and this was now. She could hardly contain herself as Joe came running up to both her and Katie, congratulating both of them on their excellent performance yet, all the while, couldn't keep his gaze off of her and her dress.

"Excellent indeed," the familiar deep voice of Royston tore through her concentration. She didn't want to look at him but since both Joe and Katie had turned their attention up to him, she turned her gaze his way and gave him another deserving glare.

"I thank you, sir," she replied chillingly, gripping her flute so tight her knuckles were turning white. Stop ruining everything! She wanted to shout. And stop staring at me like that! A womanly, embarrassed part of her added, making her cheeks flush.

She'd gotten everything out of tonight, at least everything she had wanted. Joe was actually paying attention to her now, as though he were finally seeing her for the first time as a woman instead of the rough, tomboy she really was.

But, she was starting to feel like she shouldn't have worn the dress.

"I'd like my part of the bargain now." Royston put his arm around her waist, starting to haul her off while a speechless Joe simply stood on the sidelines, gaping.

"What bargain?" She hissed back, torn between the man whisking her away and the Joe, who really wasn't being any help at the moment!

"The one you promised me, for giving you lessons."

Oh. Damn.

She really shouldn't have worn the dress, after all.


End file.
